House Buying - Services Map - Sewer pipe runs under house

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Shindig

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#303238 26-Jan-2023 18:13

Looking at a house and the LIM information.

The lawyer has pointed out that an operational sewer line runs underneath the house, with a man hole cover on the front drive way and in the back yard.

You think any cause for concern?

1980s built, solid concrete foundation

Thoughts please

The little things make the biggest difference.

mattwnz

20141 posts

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#3027636 26-Jan-2023 18:19

Is this an easement on the property, so you have sewage from other properties going under your house? What happens if it leaks or needs replacing?

PolicyGuy

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#3027638 26-Jan-2023 18:29

How deep (how far down) is this sewer line?
How big (diameter) is the sewer line?

If it's say 15m or 20m down, it's extremely unlikely the owners will try to dig it up.
[My parents once had a similar alarm, but when it transpired that the sewer was a Main Collector, several metres in diameter and >30m under the house, it was not a problem]

Is there an easement or other legal condition that would enable the owner to dig up your property if they wanted / needed to?

IMO - noting that I am entirely unqualified to offer such advice - if the sewer is shallow and smallish (say <500mm diameter) I would run a mile, particularly if there's an easement that means the owner / Three Waters Authority can just dig away to their heart's content.
Just my $0.02

Shindig

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#3027642 26-Jan-2023 18:35

No easement

Screenshot. I have removed the house numbers and redrew the red line.

Two manhole covers and operational sewer pipe.

Is that just the sewage from the property, going to the rest of the sewer network?

EDIT: I added the black rectangle. But in the line of 4 grey lined boxes, its the 3rd from the right, where the red line dissects...

The little things make the biggest difference.

Bung

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#3027677 26-Jan-2023 20:55

Why add the black rectangle? When you look at the section there are 2 sewer lines, one from the property across the driveway.

Jase2985

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#3027681 26-Jan-2023 21:17

where and who connects to that line that runs under the house?

Goosey

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#3027699 26-Jan-2023 22:28

Is this in a hill / sloping area?

is this property higher than those down the Sewer line?
Are you sure it’s not on the LIM ?

dpf81nz

66 posts

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#3027728 27-Jan-2023 08:25

I lived in a place once with a sewer manhole in the driveway/front yard area, didnt run under the house though. After housing intensification in the area, every time there was a lot of rain the manhole would overflow and the sewers contents would flow into my front yard, and occasionally get into the basement area under the house. It was always a big drama with Watercare coming to clean it up etc, but the root cause never got addressed. After that, i'll never buy a house with a sewer line running through the property again.

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Shindig

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#3027802 27-Jan-2023 11:33

Its all on the LIM.

I have the council files, and can see the waste and foul water connecting to pipes, installed under the shared drive way.
From the council files for draining, it shows that the 3 other units essentially have waste flowing to the manhole cover outside of the property, which then flows under the house and to the 2nd manhole cover.

Essentially, 4 lots of houses waste and foul water going under the one house and garden.

I don't how the depth of the pipe.

This isn't looking good IMO

The little things make the biggest difference.

bobnz

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#3027809 27-Jan-2023 12:19

You may have problems if you later wish to extend the house as nowdays it can be differcult to get approval to build over a sewer line.

Jase2985

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#3027813 27-Jan-2023 12:31

all the lines appear to be 150mm, and the second line looks to be Asbestos Cement, and i would say you have a 50/50 chance of the other one being the same. This tells you its quiet old and might need replacing in future.

hsvhel

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#3027816 27-Jan-2023 12:32

^Its the cost that's the prohibitive bit. Bracing and re-enforcement over the line.....and then any remedial if the line is not up to scratch when uncovered.

Or if its in the wrong place.

It's not a fantastic position to be in

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